So Where Were You?
by StatsGrandma57
Summary: What if Jonash Solo survived? What would happen to Han? Here's Chapter 12.
1. Chapter 1

SO WHERE WERE YOU?

Han and Leia flopped on to the sofa, exhausted from the daily business of living, both familial and occupational. Between raising three children and attending to demanding jobs, peaceful moments were few and far between.

"You're not putting the game on?" Leia asked Han. She knew that the Corellian Dreadnoughts were playing that night; betting pools at the office abounded. Of course, the bets favored the Coruscant team, and by a large margin. While gambling on government grounds was technically illegal, there was no one who was going to enforce the ban, especially not Leia. One had to prioritize.

"I'll get the scores from the massacre tomorrow," Han said, trying to stifle a yawn, draping his arm loosely over Leia's shoulders.

"You'd think after all this time, they'd know how to pick a better roster."

"I think it's tradition."

Leia murmured contentedly as she leaned into Han. "Are you thinking about going to bed soon?"

He smiled softly. "I could easily be talked into it. At least I don't have to ship out for two days. I'm actually thinking about hiring some help."

"But I assume they have to have their own ships," Leia said.

"Hey, no one drives the _Falcon _but Chewie and me."

"Lando's piloted."

"In emergency situations. Besides, he's got that space yacht now, and we all know how much Lando loves the finer things in life."

"I've flown it, too," Leia added. "Just in case you've forgotten."

"And you're totally hot when you do." Han winked at her and gathered her into his arms. He smiled at her. "We have the most wonderful family anyone could ask for, don't we?"

"Most of the time," Leia laughed.

They were starting to rise from the sofa when the chimes went off. Han frowned. "This better not be your brother."

"He's getting better about comm'g ahead," Leia said.

"What?" Han demanded, as he answered the comm. "Don't you know what time it is?"

It was one of the Barabelian guards. "There's someone here to see you."

"Tell 'em to come back tomorrow." Han walked away from the intercom and it went off again promptly.

"Let me try the diplomatic approach," Leia said to him. She pressed the talk button. "We don't accept visitors at this hour." She was following Han to the bedroom, and the chimes rang again. She stomped back towards the intercom. "I think we need some more aggressive negotiations. "Get lost! If it's that important, it'll wait till morning!" And possibly forever, she said to herself.

Whoever was there was not about to give up. "If you're the media, check with Mon Mothma!" That was usually enough to send the holorazzi lowlifes running.

This time, the Barabel pressed the talk button. "Madam, I beg your pardon, but we have a gentleman who claims to be a one Jonash Solo."

Leia stopped, blinking in disbelief. "I think you'd better talk to Han about that." She wandered over to the bedroom. "Han, you need to take this one."

Han rolled his eyes. "I'll take it, all right. With a blaster." He stomped irritably towards the comm. "This had better be good. I've got a blaster and I'm not afraid to use it."

The response was not one of the Barabelian guards. "Han Solo?" Leia was standing in the doorway of the bedroom and could hear the exchange.

The voice sounded eerily like Han. Older, but same timbre. Leia thought the claim might be legitimate.

"Who wants to know?"

"Han, my name is Jonash Solo and -"

"Jonash Solo's dead, left me for the same," Han snapped bitterly. "Only I didn't die. Whoever you are, you're not welcome here."

"Han," Leia intervened. "Han!"

Han ignored her. "So get the kriff outta here -"

Now I need to be a real diplomat, Leia thought. She pushed past Han. "Let me handle this." It would annoy Han in a major way, but she sensed that perhaps this person might have a claim. She pressed the talk button. "Sir, I understand that you might be a relation, but I'd be more comfortable if we could meet in a more public place in the morning."

"I can appreciate that, but I've used what few credits I had."

Leia and Han looked at each other. "What should we do?" Leia asked softly.

Han rolled his eyes. "I'll go down, but not without my blaster." He headed for the gun safe that he and Leia had hidden in the back of their closet and pulled his blaster out and popped it into his thigh holster. "I'll be back. Alone."

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Han went down the lift. His humor was foul and he was pretty sure this was an imposter. "At least Jarik Solo earned the surname," Han muttered crossly. He was sure that this was another con man. Admittedly, no one had ever tried this particular con with him, but he wasn't giving points for originality.

Two drednoughts flanked the person claiming to be Jonash Solo. Han was itching to put a blast in him...

Until he looked at the face. It was a face much older than his own...but it was as if he was looking at himself. He was a tall man, and extremely thin, stooped over from age and gods knew what else.

Han stared at him. The person had green-gold eyes not unlike his own.

"You won't need your blaster," the older man said to Han. "I assure you I'm not hear to cause any harm."

"And I'm supposed to believe you just because you say so?"

"It's good to see you, my son."

Han glared at him. "I have no idea who you are and I'm not sure I want to."

"You're married to a princess, and you have three beautiful children."

"If there's anyone in galaxy who doesn't know that, I'd like to meet him and shake his hand, because living in the public eye's not really something I like." He gazed hard at the older man. "What is it that you want?"

"To meet the son I left behind nearly thirty-nine years ago. Now THAT is not common knowledge."

"I never talk about any family but the one I've created with Leia because I don't have any other I care to acknowledge."

"Aren't you even curious as to whether or not I'm related to you?"

"Not particularly, no." Han rolled his eyes. But his curiosity had been piqued. However, Han was against showing one's hand first. "What do you want?"

"A bed for the night would be nice," the old man told him. "And some food."

Han reached into his wallet and pulled out several credit chits. "Here, get a room and order some dinner."

"I'd really like to meet your wife and children."

"My kids are in bed and my wife and I are just about to crash out. Get a room and get lost."

The old man watched Han's face carefully. He could remember that once upon a time, he looked very much like the younger man standing before him.

"I'm willing to have a DNA test."

Han studied him. He still didn't trust the guy, but was becoming more unsure of what was happening.

"Fine. Go to the Manarai for the night. They have a decent restaurant. I'll meet you there at 0900."

"I do hope to meet my daughter-in-law and granchildren."

"That depends a on lot of things. The DNA's just a start. Good night."

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Leia was in the 'fresher that she and Han shared, removing her braids, brushing her teeth and removing her makeup. Han had always told her she didn't need it, but as a diplomat, she felt more confident when she was hiding behind some powder and paint.

Han entered the bedroom, an expression of complete confusion crossing his features. Leia emerged from the fresher, clad in one of Han's threadbare and very soft shirts, which barely covered her bottom. Now that was a look Han had always liked. Tonight, however, it was clear to Leia that he was preoccupied.

Han flopped on to the bed, staring at the ceiling. Leia sat down next to him and stroked his hair.

"An imposter?" she asked softly.

Han looked lost. "I have no idea. He's offered DNA. I don't believe him, but maybe I just don't want to."

"I'll admit it's something of a surprise. What does he look like?"

"He's totally grey, tall but kind of bent over, same color eyes I have although none of those things is the least bit significant."

"I see you didn't invite him in."

"Until I know him better, I don't think I should. What if he's some whackjob who wants to kidnap or kill you and the kids? I'm not good with that being a possibility."

"Was he armed?"

"Who knows? He wasn't making it obvious if he was."

Leia laid down on the bed with him, snuggling close.

Han turned to face her. Leia leaned in and they kissed tenderly.

"What if he turns out to be your father?" she asks softly.

"I have no idea."

Leia, a practical person, smiled gently at him. "I think it's bedtime for flyboys. Go on, get ready for bed."

A few minutes later, Han joined her in bed, clad in only a pair of sleep pants made of soft fabric. He climbed in, and Leia snuggled up to him.

He absently put his arm around his wife, again staring at the ceiling.

Leia moved in to kiss him again. "We can't do anything more about it tonight. Let's get some sleep, my love."

Han reached for her and held her tightly.

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The next morning proceeded as nearly every morning at the Solo household did: in a stare of chaos. Han served the three kids some flatbread with forest honey; his most recent delivery port always had plenty of it and prices were reasonable. He'd always loved it; it had been a real treat growing up and one of the few sweets he really enjoyed. It was best gotten directly from Kashyyyk, Chewie's home planet, but the last port was a planet that had a strong reciprocal trade agreement with Kashyyyk. Leia raced out the door with a mug of kaf, and he drank one as he transported the kids to their school.

Getting the kids out was always a challenge, especially when both he and Leia had to be on the job, but Han had two days left before his next delivery and no cadets to instruct that day.

"Daddy, who came to see us last night?" Jaina piped up.

"Nobody came over," Han said tightly

"I heard the bells," Jaina continued.

"That doesn't mean we had company."

"But you did! I heard you tell Mommy you were gonna take your blaster!"

"You were supposed to be asleep."

"I was reading!"

"You weren't supposed to be listening, then."

"Who was it?" Jacen chimed in.

Han pulled into the causeway that served as a parking lot at the kids' school. "Nobody," Han said, trying not to show that he was irritable and more than a little nervous, and the nervousness annoyed him.

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Han headed to the Maranai. He probably should have insisted on sending the stranger to a cheaper place, but Maranai had the advantage of being down the block on which they lived.

He was thinking that the old man had gotten what he wanted: a night of good food and sleep and then, he'd move on.

However, when Han entered the lobby of the hotel, the putative Jonash Solo was sitting there, waiting for him.

"I was wondering if you were coming back," the older man said to Han.

"I wasn't sure if I was," Han answered. "But they serve a pretty good breakfast here, so I decided I would."

"Have you always been this much of a smartass?" Jonash asked him, his tone dry.

"No, sometimes I'm much worse."

The two were given menus and asked for kafs. Both men took theirs the same way, without creams or flavoring.

After scanning the menu, the presumed Solo senior ordered pancakes and fresh fruit, which was also what Han always ordered.

This, Han said to himself, was a little creepy.

"Is that what you always order?" Han demanded.

"When I have enough credits, yes."

"I'm starting to feel like you've been stalking me," Han proclaimed.

That made the old man laugh. "I don't stalk. But I have tried to keep up with your over the years. I remember trying to get Shrike to release you -"

"Waitwaitwait slow down," Han said, putting up his hand. "How'd you know I was with Shrike?"

"Same way you know things. Word gets around. I wanted to come sooner, but I was serving a twelve year prison sentence on Kessel."

Han scanned his hands. There were definitely line networks of keloid scarring across the hands. He also noticed that the presumptive Jonash Solo's hands were about the same size as his, and had a slight tremor that was noticeable.

"You think I'm lying."

"I don't know what I'm thinking."

"I told you I wanted to do a paternity test."

Han almost burst out laughing. "Is this one of those daytime holoshows where they try to find the real father and then everyone beats each other up?"

"I'd find that more amusing than the alternative, but I'm willing to do it without an audience."

Han was becoming more unnerved by the minute. He was wondering if he preferred this guy to be his father or an imposter.

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"And you are here for?" the droid receptionist at the medicenter's DNA lab said to the two.

"Paternity test," Jonash said.

The droid observed them. "You look very much alike."

"No, I'm a lot better looking," Han said, a wry smile on his feature.

"I WAS better looking," Jonash said, with an almost identical smile.

"Take a seat and wait to be called."

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	2. Chapter 2

SO WHERE WERE YOU?

Chapter 2

Leia pushed a loose tendril of hair back. This was going to be a data entry and report writing day, for which she was grateful. She was somewhat burnt out; these tasks were calming in their mundane nature.

The stranger who'd rung their apartment last night made her feel unsettled. She was good at reading people, but needed more than a fast exchange via comm to do so. It was why she traveled so extensively; comm conferencing was cheaper and didn't have her flying so many places, but sometimes, nothing beat a face to face.

Han was going to demand DNA. If there was no match, it would be a forgotten incident. In a way, that was her preference; they could move on easily.

But her intuition nagged at her, and something told her that the visitor last night was not quite a stranger. That, for her, raised a million unpleasant questions. What if he was related to Han? What would that mean to their children? Was he a safe person to allow entry to their home and access to the kids? Why had he waited so long to contact Han?

It then occurred to her that she had top level clearance and she could look up anyone she wanted. She typed in 'Jonash Solo' and waited for her computer to reveal him.

The basics came first. Born to Den and Tira Gama Solo in 54 BBY with a twin sister, Tiion. Grew up on Den and Jonash kidnapped by pirates and returned to Tralus in 52 BBY. Left home in 41 BBY. In 31 BBY, married Jaina Rashell, whom he'd met working on the Corellian Independence Underground. One child, Han Solo, born 29 BBY. Shot an Imperial soldier while trying to protect Jaina, who was murdered by the Imperial forces. Was not permitted to take his son Han, then aged two, with him. The child Han was 'adopted' by Garris Shrike.

It spit back a listing of various dates of imprisonment, aliases, presumptive sightings. He'd escaped from some very high security facilities. For a perverse reason, that made Leia smile; apparently her husband's cleverness had some genetics involved.

It should have settled her mind, but it only raised more questions in her mind. As for judging him for being in prison, these were during the times of the Empire, and many were unjustly imprisoned, languishing there for years or worked to death for no legal reason. She did need to know more about him; it was possible that he was legitimately imprisoned for violent acts, and that would definitely rule him out as having any relationship with their children.

The only murder charge was the one for killing an Imperial soldier; he'd served twelve years for that, because somehow he managed to escape. Leia thought he must have had his retinal patterns altered somehow. Han had indicated that he himself had had the surgery done. There were several other bouts in custody; seven years for 'transport of illegal substances.' Two shorter sentences for burglary.

And there was something about the voice. Older, yes. But something about the timbre had struck her ears. It was a deep voice and sounded as if it was her husband about forty years older than he currently was.

That Jaina had been awake for it disturbed Leia some, although she knew that Jaina would read by flashlight or backlight from her datapad of stories. She never corrected her daughter on it; she did the same growing up and she wanted her kids to love stories and poems as much as she did. But Jaina was Force sensitive, and she had big ears. It was hard to pass anything by her.

"Leia!" a sharp voice broke her reverie. The voice belonged to Mon Mothma. Leia felt as if she'd been woken from a sound sleep.

"I've been standing here for the last three minutes. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. What can I do for you?"

"I just wanted to get some of the taxation documents drawn up for the Inner Rim," Mon Mothma said simply.

"Of course, I'm sorry, I'm preparing a summary on that as we speak," Leia said, attempting to regain her composure.

"That's fine. Are you sure you're all right?"

"I'm fine."

Mon Mothma wasn't buying, but she let it go. "If you need to talk, you know where my office is."

That also startled Leia. "Thank you, but I'm fine," she said very quietly and returned to work.

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"Mr. Solo and Mr. Solo," a droid called to them.

"Age before beauty," Han said to the person that might well have been his Y-chromsome donor.

"Let's see how you look at my age," Jonash remarked dryly.

"If I look like you, shoot me."

The droid handed each of them a report.

The report stated: Positive Match.

The two stared at each other as if to say, what now?

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Leia was finishing her summary on tariffs when her comm went off. It was Han. He looked...confused.

"Did you get some DNA out of your presumptive father?" she asked.

"He's no longer presumptive."

"I'm going to go out on a limb and say yes, he's your father."

"I'm just wondering how Luke felt when Vader told him he was his father."

"I'm hoping your father's not in the same class."

"Well, he's not a Sith. So he's got that going for him. Beyond that, not sure."

"He does have a long criminal history."

"Yeah, but so do I."

"Yours was expunged. His wasn't. So what are you going to do now?"

"Get both of us drunk. Unless you have a better idea."

Leia was actually unable to come up with something better. "Just don't bring him home. I'm not ready for him to be there."

"Neither am I. And tonight, I'm not springing for the Maranai."

"Comm Luke. He's on Yavin and his place on Coruscant is vacant."

"Yeah, I'll do that. I dunno, sweetheart. I've flown from one end of the galaxy to the other, seen a lot of strange stuff...and this has to be the weirdest thing I've ever had happen to me."

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Han took Jonash to his favorite dive bar. It was a place he drank only with male colleagues and friends. There was a sign upon entering that weapons were not to be used inside. He'd never taken Leia there and never would. Women did drink there, but they tended to be of the shoot first and ask questions later variety. There was at least one fight between women per night, along with several between the men who went there.

"My kind of place," Jonash remarked as they entered.

"It's okay. Ever been to Chalmun's on Tatooine?"

"Yep. Not for a while, but I've been there. Ever meet Ackmena?"

"Yeah, I know her. She never said anything about you."

"I used a lot of aliases."

"Yeah, been there, done that. You must've had your retinal patterns changed," said Han as the two men were served Alderaanian ales.

"Did you ever hear of Nici the Specialist?"

"He's the one that did mine." Han was really becoming more than a little unnerved.

"Does fake Ids that are so good the Imps couldn't tell 'em," Jonash said, relishing the memory.

"I'm guessing you used an alias."

"One of many." Jonash took a long pull on his ale.

"Yeah, well, join the club," Han said, his tone more than a little sulky. "I got drummed out of the Imperial Navy, I had to get work so I could eat and every now and then live indoors." Han shook his head. "Hard to believe that once upon a time my ambition was to be an Imperial officer."

"And I was proud of you when you refused to kill - what was it, a Wookiee?"

Han's eyes widened. "Who told you that?"

"One hears things," Jonash said, shrugging. It's not as if your life's been a big secret these past few years."

"Yeah, well, I hate the holorazzi," Han said, taking another drink. "I'd take more of 'em out except that it looks bad for Leia."

Jonash smiled. "She truly is a lovely woman. There's one thing you and I have in common." He became wistful. "I'm not sure what I did to deserve her. She was amazing. How she ever fell in love with a bum like me, I'll never know, but I'm greatful she did. I miss her every day."

Han contemplated this. "So you know she's dead."

"Since I ended up going to prison for twelve years for killing an Imp officer trying to protect her, yeah, she left this galaxy a long time ago because I failed to do just that."

Han nodded, now listening raptly.

"Jaina Rashell and I met working in the Corellian Independence Movement, back during the time when the Empire was rising. Some of us saw the writing on the wall. Me, I just went for the food. I'd gotten out of prison on a drug rap after seven years."

"You were using?"

"No. I had enough of Den Solo beating the crap outta me every time he got drunk, and that was most of the time. So when I was sixteen, I bailed out. I didn't have enough money to stay anywhere, what with cleaning dishes in local restaurants. Occasionally I'd stay in some flophouse but winter came around and I figured that if I couldn't afford any place by myself, I'd look for some roommates. So, I was busing tables in this decent place I was lucky enough to get a job, and I'm hearing these guys, they're older than me but not by a lot, saying they really needed a new associate. I decide to bust in and say I'm looking for a room, not too expensive, just somewhere I can sleep and I wouldn't bother anyone. The three say they'll talk about it, tell me where to meet 'em when I'm done. I'm sixteen and I can't drink, and I'm wondering what they want with a bum like me. But it was winter coming on, and sleeping in the streets is a good way to get dead fast. So I went in, and they start giving me drinks, no one asks for ID in this joint, which is a even more of a dive than this place, which is kinda weird 'cause I was working in a good place, and they didn't mind me eating there. I'd even started to put some meat back on my bones and I sure didn't have much those days."

"So what'd they want you to do?" Han asked.

"It's a long story." Jonash indicated his ale bottle was empty.

"You're an old man. All your stories are long."

Jonash pointed a finger at him. "And if you're lucky, someday you're gonna be an old man with long stories."

"In that case, we'll need more ale."


	3. Chapter 3

1SO WHERE WERE YOU?

Chapter 3

"So then what happened?" Han asked.

"I was sixteen, dead ass broke, and listening to these guys who were throwing around as much in tips that I could've stayed in a decent place for a week. They mentioned they needed help, and I decided, what the kriff? I said I was looking for a new job. They told me to meet 'em at the Imperial after I finished my shift. These were guys who'd spent over two hundred credits just on dinner and then they're going to drink at the Imperial? Whatever these guys were doing, I wanted in. At least I thought I did."

"Lemme guess. They were dealing ryll," Han said.

"I'm getting there. So I was underage but nobody asked for my ID, these guys were in their twenties and I was tall, so I guess I passed. I couldn't afford a razor so I was looking kinda scruffy."

Han burst into laughter.

Jonash narrowed his eyes. "Did I say something funny?"

"I was just thinking of something Leia said to me one time back before we got together."

"And what did she say?"

"She said, why you half-witted, stuck-up, scruffy-looking nerfherder!"

"And you said?"

"Who's scruffy-looking?" Both men laughed.

"I think your mother said something along those lines when we'd just met each other."

"Yeah, well, you do look pretty scruffy."

Jonash barked a short laugh. "Let's see how you look at my age. I gotta say, though, you clean up well."

"You haven't seen me in thirty-nine years. How would you know?"

Jonash looked up at him. "I tried to buy you back from Shrike."

Han nearly choked on his ale. "When?

"I'm getting there. So these guys, they wanted a runner. Someone nobody knew. They offered me a room, and when I saw the room, you could have knocked me over with a with a whisper bird feather. We lived on the edge of the slums, and I'd never been in a place that fancy. I remember how my eyes nearly popped out of my head. The 'fresher they said for me to use, it was almost the size of my bedroom at my parents' house. The bedroom was as large as the whole house!"

"Sweet," Han replied in a dry tone.

"Of course, there's always a catch, but I was young and stupid and I did young and stupid things. So by the end of the night, I'm drunk off my ass, and they tell me that all they want is someone to deliver packages. Packages of what, I should have asked, but then again, I was sixteen, I had a nice place to live, I got paid a lot better than I did washing dishes and busing tables. Went well for a while. Some of the people I did business with were nasty as all hells and finally, one day, I was sent out to do a delivery to someone, and it turns out to be undercover ImpSec. I told 'em that I just made the deliveries, but when they went to arrest the guys I was working for and the place I lived, they'd cleared out. They'd taken the stash and the credits. So I got screwed. I wasn't an adult, not by law, so only seven years, but man, seven years is like forever when you're in prison."

"Didn't you get a lawyer?" Han asked, incredulous.

Jonash eyed him sharply. "Due process wasn't exactly in fashion during that time. So I got out, after I finished my time, mad as hells at the Imps. I managed to get another restaurant job, but nowhere as nice as the one I had when I got into ryll deliveries. I made friends with a guy a few years older than me, a server. He says, let's get a drink after our shift. Now, there's no shortage of bars in the area, but he takes me to one that's almost underground. He meets up with about twenty other sentients, it's so dark that I almost can't figure out who's what, but then, there's this beautiful girl. Dark hair. She's looking me up and down. I'm squirming 'cause I don't think she likes what she sees, even though I do and I don't think I'm hiding it very well. So she says to me, 'the meeting's about to start. Or are you just here for the beer?' She's got the most beautiful face. Greenest eyes I've ever seen on a human. And so I'm trying to think of something clever to say, and she says, 'if you're here for the beer, you're going to be really disappointed.' She looks at me like she's pitying me for just existing. There's no chairs near her open, but there's one at an angle across the table. So I take it and I ask, what meeting?"

"Smooth," Han remarked archly.

"And then everyone just kind of stares at me like I'm some kind of complete moron, and Genest, that's my work friend, says, 'welcome to the Corellian Independence Movement.' I'm kind of irritated at him, I thought we were just heading out to get drunk. I almost walked. But my hatred for the Imps was like a thousand white hot suns after doing seven years, and I was willing to do anything to hurt the bastards. So I stay and listen but mostly, I'm staring at this girl, and I learn her name's Jaina. You can tell right off she's high rent."

"I'm more than a little familiar with this," Han interjected, thinking back on the day in the medical bay on Hoth. He'd nearly left the day before, but he hadn't been given clearance to leave, and he thought back on what a sorry excuse his life would have been if he'd left the previous day to pay off Jabba.

"I ask her on the way out if she wants a kaf. I mean, it's not like I could afford to buy her dinner. She says no. But there's one good thing: there's another meeting three nights after that one. Different taverna every time. So I decide I can stick it to the Imps and maybe Her Highness'll notice me."

Han was amused - and more than a little weirded out. He signaled the server for another round.

"I'm late for the next meeting. Jaina's there and I'm really embarrassed now. She gives me this look like, why are you late? Of course, no chairs open near her. Genest wasn't on work, so he got me one. This makes me sad because I can't even look at Jaina from where I'm stuck sitting. So I listened. But I'm skeptical. There's barely twenty of us, and they're talking about taking out the Imps. I don't care how many beers you've had, that's crazy talk. But I figured, what if they're right?

"It's not like things were getting better - every day, it was worse and worse. I didn't care for politics, never did, but I was seeing how I didn't have a fair shot in the system, and I got interested."

"So you got involved."

"Mostly I got involved to be near Jaina."

Han said nothing, thinking how bizarre it was all getting to be.

"Jaina Rashell. From a nice family. A nice family that wanted independence for Corellia. She was an interpreter in the Corellian legislature. So she was in charge of spying in the group."

Han was trying to form a picture of his mother in his mind.

As if on cue, Jonash said, "I bet your daughter looks just like her."

"Let's leave the kids out of it for now," Han said firmly. Jonash's expression was one of sadness and disappointment, but he said nothing; clearly Han was not ready to let him into that part of his life.

"Anyway, I asked her to join me for a kaf a second time."

"She said no?"

"She said no. But there was no way I was giving up because I was head over heels in love with her. Of course, I was hardly the type of guy she went for. Hells, I wasn't anyone's type. Who wants a loser with a record and can't get a decent job?"

"Hold that thought," Han indicated. "I don't know about you, but I think if we're gonna keep talking, some food might be in order. I try to keep hangovers to a minimum."

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Leia was not a person who confided in people outside of Han and Luke. And even with Luke, there was a barrier. That obstacle was related to their parentage.

Luke spoke of Anakin Skywalker with pride that at times bordered on reverence. Luke had turned him away from the Dark Side at the end of Anakin's life and always addressed him as father. Leia decided, based on her grandmother's journals, that he hadn't been born evil and she had made her peace by naming her son Anakin, thinking the name would lose the taint that it carried. She never felt that her son had anything to do with the monster that her biological father had been for so much of his life as. Anakin was a sweet, friendly, funny and intelligent child. Her father may well have been that way as a young person. Of course, her son never suffered as a slave. Her son knew his father, lived in a prosperous family, and was permitted to be a child.

Being a child, she observed with irony, was something that Anakin Skywalker, Luke, Han and she had been deprived of. It wasn't that she hadn't enjoyed life when she was younger. Breha and Bail Organa were deeply caring parents, but they were a politically powerful family, and they had groomed their adopted daughter for public service from the very start. Luke had been raised by Obi-Wan Kenobi's half brother Owen Lars and Owen's wife Beru, and he'd started doing farm chores by the time he was five. Han had been held as a prisoner from the age of two.

She and Han were doing all they could to preserve childhood for their children. They were Force sensitive kids, but they were, first and foremost, kids. Luke would approach them about starting training for the kids, but Han and Leia vetoed it every time. They'd told him that at the age of fifteen, Luke could begin training the kids, but warned him that if they chose not to be Jedi knights, he would have to accept that.

Leia thought back on her younger years. She was educated by tutors and she'd sometimes watch the kids from the nearby schools running and laughing and carrying on as the day ended. She envied them sometimes. They seemed so carefree. Then she'd return to her lessons. There were things other than academics for a royal child, there were instructions in etiquette, protocol, dancing and fencing lessons, lessons in weaponry, self defense classes. And then there were the state functions and dinners that she had to attend. Winter, who'd been adopted by her parents as well, was raised in the same way, but Winter seemed to be far more comfortable with life in the palace. Leia was always up for pranks; Winter was regal in her bearing and found such activities undignified. There were some days that were carefree, but Leia had cherished them precisely because they were so rare.

Jaina, Jacen and Anakin spent their days experiencing what Leia and Han considered to be age appropriate activities: playing, reading, singing songs, learning colors and shapes, counting, using their imaginations, laughing. Hearing their children laugh was magical to Han and Leia; it allowed them to vicariously enjoy being the kids they were never allowed to be. Watching Han sitting on the floor playing with them was one of Leia's favorite things to see.

She wondered how Han felt about his father re-entering his life. He hadn't said much, but then again, he hadn't known for very long that Jonash Solo was in fact related to him.

Leia thought back to the night Luke had revealed that Vader was his father - and that she was his sister, meaning that Vader was also her father. That had blown her mind, and not in a direction she liked. Luke had helped Leia explain their lineage from Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala. Leia was nervous that once Han knew of this, he would break off their engagement. But he took the news with his usual good humor. Leia remembered him saying, 'If I based my opinions of people on who their parents were, I'd have to hate nearly everyone. Myself included.' He'd made it much easier for Leia to move on.

But how much had she moved on? What effect would the re-entry of Han's father into the family have on her husband? On their children? Would they ever let him see his grandchildren? There were a lot of unanswered questions. Maybe he'd disappear willingly, or, failing that, Han would shove him away, instructing him to never bother them again.

Or perhaps Han and Jonash would get to know each other well enough and Han would feel that he posed no threat and should meet her and their children.

Her comm went off, and it was Han. "Hey sweetheart, I was wondering how you'd feel about my father coming to dinner? I'm pretty sure he won't steal the good flatware."

"Are you sure we should be exposing the kids to this? Because if he's just going to drop in and then leave again, that could upset them a lot."

"I'm not sure what he's gonna do," Han admitted. "But he really would like to meet you and the kids."

"Can you trust him?"

"Better than I'd trust Lando."

"You still don't trust Lando."

"Neither do you, but we still let him visit." Han was on video, giving her the lopsided grin she cherished.

"You know I can't cook."

"I think I can take care of that. Okay if we pick up the kids from school?"

"All right."

"Believe me, he won't do anything illegal or immoral, at least not in front of the kids. And, I told him that I shoot first."


	4. Chapter 4

1

Chapter 4

Leia wasn't quite sure what to expect from Han's father. On the other hand, she suspected that Han might well be feeling the same way.

She turned on to the last causeway toward their apartment, feeling less comfortable than she would have liked. Han's father had a criminal record. What kind of person had he become over the years? What possessed him to attempt to find his son after all this time baffled her. She hoped he had some pretty good excuses.

But her anger was mitigated by Han's acceptance of her biological parentage including Anakin Skywalker aka Darth Vader. She had been frightened to tell him, but she knew she had to. Han felt that blaming one's parents after a while was ridiculous. They were adults and could make their own decisions.

Then there was the fact that Han had never entertained the thought that his father might be alive. He'd told her he was orphaned and, in fact, he was when Jonash was sent to work the Kessel mines when Han was two. She was grateful she had high level clearance, but she still felt rather guilty about using it for private reasons.

She knew that Han, being a 'still waters run deep' person, would not easily confide his emotional state in her, but she sensed already that this was going to be a major event in his life. It was not in her nature to go confessional, either. Both understood this about each other, and had their own ways to communicate with each other.

She took in a deep calming breath, such as she did when she was about ready to enter into negotiations that were likely to be intense or malicious. She knew she could hold herself together, but she had a lot of questions for Han's progenitor.

Leia walked over to the bank of lifts that went to their floor, took in one more breath, and headed upstairs.

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"That smells real good," Jonash called out to the kitchen. He was in the living room, talking and getting to know his three grandchildren. The kids seemed to have liked him from the get-go; Han was worried that they might form an attachment to him and Jonash would vanish like the sun at night. He told himself, it's your brain playing tricks on you. Han was about as unsettled as he'd ever been. Cooking the traladon stew was useful for soothing him and he was able to see the kids interact with their newly discovered grandfather. Right now, the kids had conned him into reading 'The Little Lost Bantha Cub.' He hoped that Jonash was willing to read it more than once. Han had lost track of how many times he'd read the damn story, but he smiled. It was a memory they'd all share. He didn't have any memories of his own parents.

"Nothing fancy," Han called out as he prepared the wastril bread he'd learned to bake from Dewlanna.

"I wouldn't know from fancy," Jonas informed him.

"C'mon, Grampa, read the story!" Jaina begged.

"Interrupting in the middle of 'The Little Lost Bantha Cub' is punishable by death!" Han reminded him.

"It is?" Leia entered the apartment. She went over to Han and he picked her up off her feet, holding her and kissing her. Then setting her down he took her hand and led her down to the living room.

"This is my wife, Leia Organa Solo," Han said to his father, who looked up and smiled.

"Ah, Han, she's even more beautiful in person. I'm so glad to meet you, Minister," Jonash told her. He stood up and extended his hand.

"How are you?" Leia asked him.

"I'm the happiest man in the galaxy," Jonash said, smiling at her. The smile was shockingly similar to that of his offspring.

"C'mon, Grampa, read!" Jaina ordered.

"Excuse me, but duty calls," Jonash said as he smiled at Leia, and then continued reading to the kids.

Leia returned to the kitchen, where Han had poured her a glass of Emera wine. "How are you doing?" she asked Han quietly.

"Get back to me on that one, will ya?" Han said to her, popping the tab on an Alderaanian ale, and slipped his arm around her. "The kids like him, anyway."

"They're four and a half and three," Leia reminded him.

"They're Force sensitive," Han told her. "Remember when we took them to your department's summer picnic and how they'd cry around certain people and not others?"

"Yes. But they're still little kids."

"He's done a lot of prison time, I'll grant you that." Han took another swallow.

"I'm well aware of that. You didn't think I wouldn't check him out, did you?"

"I'd have done it myself if I'd had the chance." Han stared off for a moment, contemplating. "At least he's got an interesting story. We were just getting to the part where he tried to buy me back off Shrike. Of course, it took him four hours in the WompRatHole to get to that point."

"You couldn't take him anywhere decent to drink?" Leia was surprised.

"He's a dive bar kinda guy. I mean, really. Can you see him in a fern bar?"

"I'm not sure where I can see him," Leia remarked, her tone dry. "I'm worried that the kids will start to like him, and then he'll vanish again for the remainder of his natural life. And I did look up his criminal history."

"You married me and I had one."

"Expunged due to your service to the Rebellion. And, I know you. What do you think he wants?"

"I have no idea what he wants, beyond meeting you and the kids."

"Is he ill?"

"I dunno. He packed away four ales and a large nerfburger. Sick people don't usually care for either."

Leia looked furtively at the man. She did notice a resemblance. Granted, Jonash was thinner than his son, more wrinkled, but the green-gold eyes were full of mischief and the laugh was familiar. Like Han, he read the story to the kids with the same kind of sound effects and great inflection that Han did. Even without the genetic testing, it was obvious that this older man had been directly involved in creating the younger one she loved so very much.

"I just hope he's being straight up," Leia said to Han. Despite the obvious physical links, she was still uncertain about Jonash Solo.

"Yeah. Me, too," Han murmured.

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Dinner was served, and the family sat down at the table.

"This is beautiful," Jonash said of the table and chairs. "I've never seen anything like it."

"You won't, either, because Han handcrafted all of it. In fact, he's built nearly all of the wood pieces in the house," Leia said proudly.

"I have a hard time sitting still when I'm not flying," Han explained. "Of course, these days, these three guys keep us running," he said, smiling as he indicated the children. Han had made baked tubers instead of fried strings, which meant that they weren't demonstrating their skills at stuffing the tuber strings up their noses. Anakin, of course, was pushing his food around as opposed to eating it. The child was averse to nearly everything that was consumable.

"He's not eating again," Leia grumbled. "He lives on pasta, one kind of cereal, and milk."

"He looks pretty healthy to me," Jonash offered. He smiled at Anakin and the toddler held his arms out to him. He turned to Han and Leia. "May I pick him up?"

"Sure. Good luck finishing your dinner," Han said to him.

"It's very good, you know," Jonash told him.

"Thanks," Han said. Leia noticed the tenseness in her husband's body. She'd have to knead his shoulders, neck and back later on. Not that that bothered her. He was always appreciative, and it was, to her mind, that she was the only person who really now how much tenderness was in Han.

Anakin was happy in his grandfather's lap. Jonash turned to Jaina. "Did you know that your name is the one your daddy's mommy had?"

"You mean my gramma?" Jaina said, frowning.

"Yeah, your gramma. Her name was Jaina."

"But it's my name!"

"Yes, it is, but you were named for your gramma."

Jaina seemed puzzled. "Okay," she said, shrugging.

"She was a beautiful lady, and when you were born, you were as beautiful as she was, so you had to be named for her," Jonash explained.

"Where is she?" Jaina asked.

"She died, honey," Jonash said softly. "I'm so glad your mommy and daddy gave you the same name. You look a lot like her."

"But she's dead," Jaina looked confused again.

"Let's leave it for now," Leia said, speaking in the soft tone she used to dissipate tense diplomatic situations. She smiled at Jonash, who smiled back at her.

"It's been a long time since I've been near little kids," he explained.

"No worries," Leia assured him.

"We got some chocolate lava cake when we walked back from school," Han said, grinning at her. It was Leia's favorite dessert.

"I think I had that once, a long time ago," Jonash said, standing up. "Here, lemme get the dishes."

"You really don't have to do that," Leia said.

"Yeah, I do. I've had the most wonderful meal in almost forty years." He continued to collect dishes from the table, placing them carefully into the sink.

"Han's the cook," Leia said.

Jonash grinned. "Nice to know he's got a few skills."

"No thanks to you," Han said tartly. But he smiled.

"He has his talents," Leia said, picking up Anakin. "One of them happens to be bathing the kids. You can leave the dishes for later."

"No, I'm fine with cleaning. Did a lot of it in prison."

Jacen frowned. "What's prison?"

Han gave his father a warning look. "Let's keep it kid friendly for now, m'kay?"

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After Jonash read for the little ones, Han and Leia tucked them into bed.

"They're beautiful children," he said sincerely to their parents.

"We like 'em. Most of the time," Han said, smiling wryly.

"Your daughter really does look like your mother," Jonash told Han. "Anyway, you were talking about trying to buy me back from Shrike."

"I'd been on Kessel, sentenced to twenty-five to life in the spice mines. Most sentients who went there, died there. I was determined not to let that happen."

"They're pretty rough," Leia said. "We still have problems stemming from using slave labor, which is illegal under the GFFA charter. I seem to end up there at least twice a year."

"Good luck with that one," Jonash told her. "Anyway, I got twenty-five to life for shooting an Imp officer while I was trying to protect my wife and kid." He turned towards Han. "You were two and a half."

"You only did twelve years, from what I've read," Leia mentioned. "It's unusual for someone sent to the Kessel Mines to get off early for good behavior."

"Good behavior had nothing to do with it. I escaped. As you may have noticed, I've been presumed dead for a while," Jonash said to her. Nici the Specialist helped with that, and I've got so many aliases I've lost count."

"Two generations of loyal customers at the Glow Spider," Han remarked wryly.

"It was pretty risky of you to come here. CorSec doesn't mess around," Leia remarked.

"Well, since I'm presumed dead, it makes things less complicated," Jonash smiled at her. "I've done some time since then, mostly because I was starving, but it wasn't a lot. And I'm pretty good at escaping." He grinned, somewhat smugly. Leia remembered that grin from the time Han had said, 'Not a bad bit of rescuing. Y'know, sometimes I even amaze myself.'

"How have you been supporting yourself?" Han asked.

"Odd jobs, mostly paying under the table," Jonash said with a shrug. "Kind of like when I started out. That's the irony of it all." He rose. "I'd keep talking, but I'm pretty tired. Got in touch with an old friend earlier. He's at the Krabbis Inn, down near the Jedi temple. I couldn't impose on you."

Secretly, Han and Leia were relieved; they were beginning to like Jonash, but trusting him was a different animal.

Leia gave him a friendly hug good night; Han gave him a slap on the back. He wasn't quite ready to give a buddy hug yet.

Jonash turned to them. "Okay if I walk the kids home with you?" he asked Han.

"That'd be fine," Han assured him. "Are you staying for dinner tomorrow?"

"If it's not too much trouble," Jonash said to Han and Leia.

"It's not," Leia said to him.

Han and Leia turned to each other. "Whaddya think?" Han said.

"Still not quite sure. He seems very nice and the kids like him. What about you?"

"I'm still getting used to the idea." She knew that the situation was tense for Han and his body was giving it away.

Leia put her hands on his shoulders. "I think someone could use a shoulder and back massage."

Han closed his eyes and smiled. "You're awesome, you know that, don't you?"

"I am. And don't you forget it," Leia responded, her tone light with laughter.

"Oh, I know if I do, you'll remind me."

"Get in the bedroom, flyboy."


	5. Chapter 5

1

Chapter 5

"We could have offered him somewhere better than the Krabbis Inn," Leia said to Han as they headed for the bedroom.

"I used to consider the Krabbis a luxury joint," Han said, laughing. "You wouldn't believe some of the flophouses I used to stay in."

Leia shook her head. "I'm pretty sure I don't want to know."

"No, you don't." She sat down on the edge of the bed. Han was about to remove his shirt when Leia stood back up and stopped him.

"I can do this better than you," she said with mischief sparkling in her eyes.

"I want a demonstration," Han said, his voice low and sexy. The way he sounded when they were at their most private and intimate made her shiver with delight each and every time.

"Let me show you how it's done," Leia said, her husky voice sultry and alluring as she slowly began to unbutton Han's shirt, pausing after each button to let her fingers travel over his silky chest hair, causing his breath to hitch.

"You're good, but I need more proof," Han breathed.

"Oh, I am nowhere close to finishing," Leia softly teased him, unfastening another button, then planting a soft kiss on his sternum. She pressed herself against him, feeling him growing hard, listening to his ragged breathing. Han drew her closer, his hands working the zipper of her dress and finding their way to the hooks of her bra...

And Han's comm went off.

"Ignore it," Leia murmured.

Han did as instructed, but the comm was insistent for the next five minutes. Completely irritated, he snatched it up.

"What?!" Han made no attempt to hide his irritation. He was only mildly mollified by the fact that the call was voice without video.

"Han!" The electronically transmitted voice of Jonash Solo called out.

Han rolled his eyes. "Don't go anywhere," he instructed Leia as he turned his attention to his father. "This better be important!"

"Han, I don't like hitting you up, but there's a sabacc game going to start, and I need fifty credits to get in on the ground floor. I promise I'll make it back."

Han groaned audibly. "When do you need it?" he asked Jonash irritably.

"Now would be good."

"I'm not going out. You want it, you come here." Han ended the call without even giving Jonash a chance to thank him.

"I don't suppose we could have said no," Leia said archly.

"We can once he's here. I might add a fist for emphasis." Once again, Han's feelings were jumbled. He liked the old man well enough, but if he was going to start being a user, Jonash was not going to be welcome in Han's life – or that of his wife and children. He hoped Leia's Force sense was clear. Maybe I should ask Luke, he thought.

"I'm going to soak in the tub," Leia said, maintaining more equanimity than Han was. "Join me?" She smiled at him seductively.

"As soon as possible," Han assured her. "If things get out of hand, I'll try not to get blood on the carpets."

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Han had considered not even letting Jonash have access to enter the apartment complex, but in the end granted him ingress. This was based on Leia's Force sense, indicating that Jonash's intentions were kind and good.

"I hope I wasn't disturbing anything," Jonash said, but the fact that his son had clearly tossed his shirt on without buttoning it, and the irate expression on his face, pointed to the fact that he clearly had.

"Well, yeah, as a matter of fact, you were." Han was not about to let him off the hook. "Y'know, you could've asked me earlier."

"I didn't know till I got to my friend's at the Krabbis."

"How often do you play sabacc?" Han demanded.

Jonash shrugged. "Often as possible. I've even done some high rolling, but I'm busted right now."

"When's the last time you won?" Han was not going to feed a losing habit.

"How do you think I got the credits to come from Corellia? And rumor has it you got that spaceship of yours from winning at sabacc."

"I did."

"Han, I know we've really just met, and I hate asking for credits, but if I can turn this into something bigger, I can live my life like a decent person. It's been a long time since I felt like one; meeting you and Leia and the kids, well, it makes me feel like maybe that's possible."

Han thought back, back to when he first met Leia. It had been a major transformation for him. Before, he felt as if he was going to be smuggling the rest of his life, that he had no family, no career options, no relationships of lasting value save for Chewie. All that changed one day in the cantina. At the time it happened, he had no idea just how much. And it would really change once he allowed Luke to talk him into breaking in to the detention level of the Death Star and meeting the petite woman who, in the end, helped him to really become a man.

Han handed Jonash a chit for fifty credits. "This is a loan," Jonash informed him. "I'm not about to take money from you without paying you back."

"I don't even care that much about the credits. But there's one thing I want from you," Han informed him.

"And that is?"

"Anytime after 2100 hours belongs to Leia and me."

"That's fair," Jonash agreed. "She really is a lovely lady."

"She's all that and more," Han said, unable to keep a smile from forming on his lips. "Go. Win big. And if you win, wait till tomorrow to comm me."

Jonash studied his son. "You're a good man, Han."

"Go on, get outta here," Han said to his father, but not without affection.

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Somehow, Leia and Han had managed to pick up where they left off and were quietly relaxing, Leia's head on Han's chest near his heart, Han's arms wrapped lazily around her.

"I told him that if he ever shows up after 2100, I'd shoot him," Han said as he nuzzled against Leia's hair.

"So he's a sabacc player, too," Leia remarked, a smile in her voice.

"You have no idea how much this is all weirding me out," Han said, an expression of uncertainty crossing his features.

"He's quite nice, really," Leia said. "He's had a pretty difficult life, and he's a bit rough around the edges. But that's never stopped me from loving a Solo, especially the one that occupies our bed."

"Hey, I'm totally refined these days," Han challenged her.

This caused Leia to burst into laughter. "Hey! What's so funny?" Han demanded.

"Han, the day you become refined will be the day I have you checked for brain injury." She became more serious. "Flyboy, if I'd wanted refined, there was a large pool to select from. I myself prefer a real man." She raised herself on one elbow and gazed down at him, and then kissed him lightly on his lips.

"My father said something that really surprised me," Han said softly.

"Which was?" Leia looked upon him intently.

"He told me I was a good man."

"Well, it's nice to know he's right about something," Leia said, smiling at him. "He's not a bad person at all. He's had a lot of bad breaks, and while his behavior may be less than admirable at times, it's certainly understandable. He truly loves the kids. And us."

"If he is, I know what made him that way."

"And that would be?"

"He married a woman far better than he deserved."

"And you know this...how?"

Han gave her a boyish grin. "Because I did the same thing."

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The next day, Han and Chewie were working on the _Falcon _when Han's comm went off. It was Jonash.

"I can give you your fifty back," Jonash told his son. "I won seven hundred fifty credits last night, so first thing I did was get a comm. Next competition's not for three days and I only need five hundred credits for it. You playing?"

"Can't. Chewie and me are flying out tomorrow. We're out for four days."

"I can help Leia," he offered. "Well, some of the time."

"You can ask her if you'd like." Leia seemed positively disposed towards Jonash, but he was not about to speak for her as to whether or not she'd appreciate his assistance. He still had hesitation.

"I'd love to take you and your family to dinner," Jonash offered.

"It's easier if you join us at our place. The kids aren't always the most well behaved in restaurants," Han informed him. This was something of an understatement. "If you want to."

"Nothing makes me happier these days," Jonash assured him. "Of course, credits help. I can food shop for dinner."

"Save your credits, okay?" Han told him.

"Are you picking the children up from nursery school?"

"Leia is. You can comm her if you want. She has a lot of meetings, though, so you might not get an answer right away." Han gave his father her comm code.

"I really appreciate this, Han. I know I have no business expecting you to care about me, but I wanted to know that I really did try to get you back."

"I don't think it matters at this point," Han told him gruffly, trying to push away emotions.

"It matters to me, my son."

For some reason, the way he said 'my son' stirred something in Han's soul. He wasn't ready to completely accept his father, but he was becoming less inclined to push him away.

"You can tell us about it at dinner."

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	6. Chapter 6

1SO WHERE WERE YOU?

Chapter 6

"Minister Organa-Solo," Leia answered the voice comm caller. She had been harried all day, and she needed to get in touch with Han, which she hadn't had five minutes to do. She was going to be held up late, and she knew that they had to get the _Falcon _in shape for flying out tomorrow. This was not going to please Han, even though it might delight the kids; they loved the old tramp freighter as much as their father, and loved playing on it.

"Madam, it's Jonash Solo."

"What can I do for you?" Leia had begun to like the older man, and her Force sense told her he was someone who could be trusted, but if he began to turn into a nuisance, she'd like him a lot less.

"Actually, I called to see if I could help, maybe help you get the children from school."

Leia couldn't help but feel relief. He'd been not only appropriate with the children, but it was clear that he did care for them greatly. Thank the Force, she told herself.

"Would it be possible for you to get them without me? I was going to get off at 1600 but there's an ambassador I have to meet with at that time, a last minute thing." Leia couldn't help keep the annoyance out of her voice.

"Very possible. Oh, and I have the fifty credits I owe Han."

"Thank you so much," Leia said. "As for the fifty credits, you'll have to take that up with Han." There was a small smile that met her lips as she contemplated that transaction. "Would you mind cooking dinner for them?"

"I'll cook dinner for everyone."

Maybe, she thought, she could get used to having this man around. She quickly sent a comm text to the children's school.

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"Grampa!" After having his ID carefully checked (Nici the Specialist was very, very good), he'd been allowed to sign the three children out. They scrambled excitedly towards Jonash, hugging him mightily.

"Mommy's still at work, so she asked me to come get you," he explained to them.

"Can we get ice dots?" Jacen begged.

"Show me where the store is," Jonash said to him, smiling.

"Yay!" Jaina and Anakin shouted. Finding the ice dots vendor was no problem for the kids. Jonash allowed them to order what they wanted. He himself ordered some ice dots.

"Daddy never gets ice dots," Jaina announced to him.

"I don't think your dad ever got to eat many treats," Jonash told her. "He had a hard life."

"Like how?" Anakin asked.

Jonash wished he'd said nothing; this was going to be like walking through land mines. He shrugged and said, "He didn't get to do nice things like you, like going for ice dots."

"Daddy always gets a kaf, not ice dots," Jacen pointed out.

"Mommy likes ice dots, too," Jaina told her grandfather.

"Your mommy is a kind lady," Jonash responded. "And the best part is how much your mommy and daddy love each other."

Jaina frowned. "So did Daddy ever have a mommy?"

Jonash nodded slowly. "He did. Everyone has a mom. Even me."

"So where's his mommy?" Jaina asked, frowning.

"Unfortunately, she died when he was a little boy." Jonash had no other way to tell them.

Anakin scrunched his face. "Daddy's not a little boy!"

"He once was," Jonash said patiently.

"But he's my daddy! He can't be little!" Anakin continued to be puzzled.

"Yes, he is," Jonash said to him. A memory of Han as a toddler came back to him in that moment. He closed his eyes and he could see little Han racing across the floor and then hugged him around his legs. He could hear his little boy's laughter. Han had talked early and often and demonstrated considerable intelligence and mechanical aptitude. He'd always been tall for his age, and even at two and a half, he was all arms and legs. Jacen looked very much like Han facially, but was chunkier, as evidenced by the boy's generous appetite. Anakin was definitely Leia's offspring; the blue eyes were a surprise. Jaina could have passed for Jaina Rashell Solo; Jonash had seen some holos of his wife as a young girl and the two Jainas were nearly identical.

He couldn't remember the last time he'd been so happy. His grandchildren loved him; his daughter in law had accepted him. The missing factor was his son, who was still holding back emotionally. Jonash understood that; he'd been the same way as a younger man. But growing older, it seemed as if that sort of restraint just got in the way of being able to appreciate what life had to offer.

He hoped that Han would understand once he told them what had happened all those years.

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"Jonash, you're a life saver," Leia announced as she entered the apartment. The children were eating the dinner he'd prepared for them, and he was singing a Corellian drinking song. Leia knew it because it was one of the ones that Han sang to them as infants. Most parents might use lullabies, and Han knew a few, but he'd more often than not sing Corellian drinking songs, among other forms of music not usually considered for getting infants to sleep, but they'd done the trick more than once. "By the way, Han's got a collection of Corellian drinking songs that includes that one," Leia said happily as she was assaulted by the three kids. It was a moment she lived for.

"I used to sing these to Han when he was a baby. Gods, getting him to sleep was tough," Jonash said, smiling at her. "Would you like to eat, or are you going to wait for Han? He comm'd about twenty minutes ago and said he and Chewie'd be done in half an hour."

"I'll wait," Leia told him, smiling.

"Would you care for a drink?" Jonash inquired.

"Some ice wine would be nice."

Jonash pulled out a glass, filled it with the ruby colored substance, and handed it to her. "How'd your last minute meeting go?"

Leia groaned. "If I think about it too much, I'll need the entire bottle." Both of them laughed. "Hell really is other sentients sometimes."

"Amen to that," Jonash agreed as he began removing the kids' dishes from the table. He smiled at Leia. "You know, you remind me so much of Jaina. My wife Jaina. Not that your Jaina isn't beautiful; she is, and she looks just like her grandmother. I still miss her. She was the love of my life, always will be. I didn't think anyone could compare to her...but you do. Han is a lucky man. And I think he knows it."

"I think I'm the lucky one," Leia said, smiling between sips of wine. "I grew up on Alderaan, as the galaxy knows, and I was raised for public service. Despite the fact that my adoptive parents were progressive thinkers in most ways, they still held the view that marriages were political alliances. Theirs was arranged as one. It was fortunate that they fell in love. I told them repeatedly that I refused to marry. It was probably due to the fact that the boys who were considered suitable for a match didn't impress me at all. They had about as much depth as the kids' pool in the complex. I wrote off marriage. I'd been involved with the Rebellion formally since I was fifteen, and my devotion was to the Rebellion. I made friends, but many of them died as we fought to overthrow the Empire, so I started to close myself off."

"I remember the same thing happening during the Corellian IM," Jonash nodded sympathetically. "I'm told that all bleeding eventually stops, but so many of ours, that bleeding ended all too soon."

"As it ever is in war," Leia said, her voice laced with frustration. "And it doesn't end when the war's over."

"There're still a lotta sentients out there thinking life was better with the Imperials in charge."

"For some of them, it was. Our biggest problem galaxywide is unemployment in certain areas."

"That's because everything was military. They always wanted more fighters, more weapons, more spacecraft, more aircraft, you name it, they'd keep the factories rolling. Which is a good reason to not be on Corellia right now."

"Han says you're from Tralus."

"Not originally. I'm from the North Continent, but Han was born in Tralus. His mother's from there. Her father owned a lot of factories. Big Imperial sympathizer. She had a lot of the inside track so she was a real valuable spy. I learned in prison that when Daddy discovered that his baby girl was CIM, he had her killed. I was pissed enough that she was dead; when I found out who did it, well, it was good thing the old guy had a heart attack and died, otherwise I was gonna do the job." He shook his head. "Can you believe that, a father having his own daughter murdered?"

Leia was about to respond when the doors slid open. Leia stood up and the three kids raced towards him, nearly knocking him off his feet. Satisfied that they had nearly rendered their father crippled for life, they scurried back to their toys. Han wrapped his arms around Leia and the two kissed, probably longer than Jonash might have been comfortable with, but so far as they were concerned, it was their apartment and they could do whatever they liked.

Han grabbed an ale from the chiller and handed another one to his father. He took note of Leia's beverage. "Ice wine. That kind of day, huh?"

"All that and more," Leia said, but smiled. The wine was dulling her irritation with the events of the afternoon and the appearance of Han lifted her spirits.

"I made some waterfowl cutlets," Jonash told them. "I can only cook simple."

"That's pretty much how it works around here," Han assured him.

"How about after we get the kids bathed and in bed?" Leia suggested.

"I can go for that," Han agreed.

"You want I should give the little ones their baths?" Jonash asked them.

"We can do it together," Han said to him. He stood up and bent down to kiss Leia again. "We've got this one."


	7. Chapter 7

1

Chapter 7

Once the little ones were finally asleep, Han, Leia and Jonash retired to the living room.

Jonash looked at the chrono. "It's almost 2100. I should be going."

"You're welcome to stay," Leia told him, shooting a warning look to Han that was so subtle that no one else could have interpreted it.

"Well, there _is_ something I wanted to show you before I leave," Jonash told them, a bit sheepishly as he reached for the small backpack he carried everywhere. He took out some old looking holos. "These are all I have left." He handed one to Han. Han and Leia studied the holo carefully. There was a little boy, a young man and presumably, his young wife. "That's you with your mother and me, Han."

The little boy in the picture looked like a thinner Jacen. The young man was nearly a dead ringer for Han at an earlier age, and the woman's features reminded them of their daughter.

Han studied it for an extended period of time. The three were smiling. There was nothing to indicate that they were anything but a young, happy family.

"I guess Jacen's doomed," Han said at long last.

"Doomed to be a good looking guy, yes," Leia said, smiling happily, leaning her head against Han.

"Your little Jaina's going to be as beautiful as your mother was," Jonash said. "You'll have to beat the boys back with a truncheon."

"That won't be necessary, because there will be no boys," Han told him.

Leia grinned sideways at Jonash as if to say, yeah, right.

"Here's another one. I didn't take it. It was sent to me, but I have no idea who took it or sent it." It was Han as a teenager.

"Based on the time of the race, I was sixteen in this," Han remarked. Leia looked at the holo of the tall, gangly young man, his features still soft with youth, but the green gold eyes and thick hair were those of Han's, and of Jonash's as well. Despite how young Han was, he'd already developed a sense of skepticism that showed in his face. The holo showed Han standing by his swoop racer, carrying a trophy, his expression unsmiling.

"You're not looking very happy there," Leia commented.

"That's because I didn't get to keep the prize money," Han said wryly.

A shadow passed over Jonash's features. Leia could see guilt and pain in him. He handed Han another holo. It was of his parents on their wedding day, and that brought memories back for Han; not those of his parents marrying, but of himself and Leia taking their vows. Neither he nor Jonash could suppress a smile.

"Just out of curiosity, how many guests were at your wedding?" Han asked, still smiling.

"Six hundred and fifty. Most of them were business connections of Jaina's father, and so naturally he had to show off by giving his daughter the most garish wedding known to gods and sentients. He knew we wanted something small and didn't give a kriff how we felt about it. But I know that you had around a thousand at yours. I watched it in a tavern and wished I could be there. Of course, as you can tell, I don't fit in well with dignitaries."

"And he does?" Leia teased Han gently.

Han grinned. "She's the only reason they put up with me," he said as he clasped Leia's hand.

"Mostly because he can liven up the dullest of events," Leia said, smiling back at her husband.

"Jaina always said she could never take me anywhere," Jonash smiled wistfully. There were tears in his eyes that he was trying to hold back. "Gods, I loved her. I still love her. Miss her every day."

"Do you have any more holos?" Leia asked Jonash in a gentle voice.

"Two more." He handed the fourth one to Han. It was his mother holding a small bundle against her, presumably a newborn Han.

"Now that's an ugly baby," Han said, grinning.

"Scared me half to death," Jonash laughed. "Here's the last one," he said as he tentatively handed it to his son.

Han studied it carefully and not especially comfortably. It was from his graduation at Carida. Not a formal portrait, of course; someone had probably taken the holo by accident.

"I'm guessing you weren't happy to get this one," Han said dryly.

"By the time I got it, you'd been cashiered out. I didn't care. I just wanted to see what my son looked like. And I had to work to get this one."

"I don't think my hair's been that short since then," Han quipped.

"You've never been shaggy," Leia said to him.

"You didn't see me after I was cashiered out. In fact, I had it cut off the morning before I met you," Han told her.

"I'm so glad you cleaned up," Leia kidded him.

"My hair was in my eyes. I could fly totally hung over as long as I could see. One of the scariest experiences I ever had was waking up from the carbonite and not being able to see."

"What's this about carbonite and not being able to see?" A look of worry and a bit of disbelief colored Jonash's features.

"It's a long story," Han said. "But it's late."

"Yes, it is," Jonash said, standing up, his joints audible. "I promised not to keep you up past your bedtime."

"Where're you spending the night?" Han asked him, a note of concern in his voice.

"I've asked my friend from the Krabbis to meet me at Leia's brother's apartment," Jonash told them. "I very much appreciate it."

"Luke's not on Coruscant all that often, and when he is, he tries to leave as quickly as possible," Leia said. "He's much happier on Yavin Four."

"Who wouldn't be?" Jonash snorted. "Good night, Leia, Han, and thank you for your hospitality."

"You're welcome...Dad." Han's voice came out as near a whisper on the last word, but one thing was certain: his father's ears would hear it.

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	8. Chapter 8

1

Chapter 8

The night had arrived for the sabacc tournament that Jonash had been able to buy into.

"Make sure you stay safe," Leia warned him as he hugged each of the kids, who were in their pajamas.

"I'm always careful," Jonash told her. "It's not my first major sabacc tournament. And I know from lowlifes. Hey, I am one."

"I don't think you're a lowlife at all," Leia informed him, smiling.

"I wish my son was with me," Jonash told her.

"I'm sure he wishes he was, too." Of that, Leia was certain.

"Wish the weather was a little nicer," Jonash said, grabbing his well-worn cloak and scarf. "But Winter Fete's coming. I'm looking forward to that. Kids make a holiday, don't you think?"

"They definitely do. Of course, I've done nothing yet to prepare," Leia groaned. At this time of year, Han was mostly shipping merchandise that would be purchased by those exchanging gifts; it was a far cry from the manufacturing, industrial and commercial goods that he normally ferried. The _Falcon _was jammed to the gills with presents for exchanging,

"You're very busy people, you and Han," Jonash observed. "I'd love to be able to help you."

"That's very kind of you. So what will you do with your winnings?" Leia said, smiling. Like Han, he was confident he would win. Leia wasn't so sure, but the last thing she wanted to do was to destroy his assuredness.

"I'm thinking maybe I'll get a little flat not far from here," he said. "Unless you and Han have a problem with that."

"Not at all," Leia said to him. " But you'd best get moving. You don't want to be late."

"Definitely not," Jonash agreed, giving her a quick hug. "Thank you, Leia."

"Good luck."

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{You seem awfully tense}, Chewie remarked to Han as they completed their first delivery.

"I'm not tense," Han said, his tone clipped.

{Of course not. That's why you've barely said a word since we took off}.

"When I talk to you, you complain. When I don't talk to you, you complain. Make up your mind!" Han snapped.

{You're thinking about your father}.

Han rolled his eyes. "And so what if I am?" Chewie was his best friend in the universe, but at times, he nagged, and Han hated being nagged. Leia rarely nagged; she was forthright and blunt, but she didn't nag.

{Do you want to accept him}? Chewie asked.

Han took a deep breath. In addition to nagging, Chewie had a habit of scoring dead on.

"I'm not sure what I want to do," Han finally admitted. "It's a bit of a mind blower when a parent who've you thought of as dead for nearly four decades shows up and wants to be your dad."

{The kids love him}.

"Yeah, but they're still at the start of their lives, and I'm in the middle of mine. It's a little more complicated."

{Leia trusts him. She's good at reading people}.

"He isn't - I don't know. I like him well enough."

{Good thing, because you guys are way alike}.

"Oh, please."

{You are}! Chewie chuckled.

"Shut up and drive," Han grumbled as they sped on to their next destination.

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Jonash was weary. He was still ahead but he was neck in neck with a Soccorran by the name of Lando Calrissian. Jonash's first impression of Lando was that he was a big talker and a fancy dresser. Still, Lando was a hell of a card player, and Jonash enjoyed worthy opponents.

The last hand was being dealt, and tension was high. Jonash, like his son, was a careful reader of tells, and Lando was remarkably cool. The older man was impressed.

Lando was looking very confident. Everyone else had folded.

"Pure sabacc," Lando announced, laying his cards on the table.

Jonash smiled. "Idiot's Array."

Lando let out a breath. "Feel like buying the loser a drink?"

"Absolutely," Jonash told the younger man. Lando looked to be around Han's age.

"Pardon me, but I'm not sure I caught your last name," Lando said as they walked towards the bar.

"Solo," Jonash told him simply.

"Seriously? I know someone with that name. Used to play against me in tournaments like this all the time." Lando gave Jonash a piercing look. "I lost my spaceship to him the last time we played."

"Did you, now?" Jonash was attempting to be circumspect.

"I miss that baby," Lando said. "She's the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy."

"Hunk of Junk? Are you speaking of the _Millennium Falcon _?" Jonash asked him, narrowing his eyes a bit. "My son worships that ship!"

Lando looked puzzled. "Your son?"

"Yes, my son, Han," Jonash stated.

Lando's confusion increased. "Han told me his parents died." He looked suspiciously at Jonash.

"That's what Han was told," Jonash reminded him. "We've had our DNA matched, so if you think I'm a fraud, so be it. It doesn't change matters." Jonash was understandably feeling a bit touchy about the subject.

"Whoa, slow down, I didn't mean to upset you," Lando said, trying to smooth things over. Fortunately, Lando was generally good at said activity. "It's just that - I'm kind of surprised. You do kind of look like him. Or he looks like you. I bet he's glad to see you."

"Of that, I'm not sure," Jonash said. "But his wife and kids seem to think I'm all right."

"I suspect Han's just in shock. He's what, I think he's two years younger than me, that makes him forty-one. And how old was he when he was orphaned?"

"Two and a half." Jonash was relaxing a little. The top shelf Alderaanian ale was helping.

"So he wouldn't even remember you." Lando was enjoying an exquisite single malt.

"No." There were circumstances he was disinclined to share with a person who apparently was acquainted with Han, and this qualified.

Lando grinned. "Me and Han, we go back a long way, something like over twenty years now. We've had some wild times, that's for sure." Lando was not about to bring up the carbonite freezing incident. That wasn't going to play well. It hadn't been one of his more stellar moments. To this day, he was still felt guilty about it. "Han's one of the best pilots ever."

"I always wanted to fly. But I didn't have the chance to learn when I was young, and I sure as hells wasn't going to join the military. I was in the Corellian Independence Movement. It's where I met my wife, Han's mother. What she saw in me, I'll never know, but a woman like that, it's only once in a lifetime. Leia's that sort of person, too."

"She's quite the woman," Lando agreed. "Han's a lucky guy."

"The kids are wonderful."

"They're pretty special." Jonash drained his drink. "Lando, it's a pleasure to meet you. Will I see you on Bespin?"

"I wouldn't miss it. I might even get the chance to beat you," Lando flashed a smile.

"Don't count on it."

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	9. Chapter 9

SO WHERE WERE YOU?

Chapter 9

It had been a long four days. Han couldn't wait to get home and see Leia and the kids, and the idea of seeing his father was something he was actually looking forward to in a strange way. Leia seemed fond of him and Han was hoping that Jonash had been helpful to her.

{You looking forward to seeing your father}? Chewie barked gently.

"Yeah, I think so," Han responded. The shock of knowing that a, Jonash was alive and b, that he was his father, had worn off somewhat. So far, the old guy hadn't stolen the good flatware or antiques. The kids liked him a lot. And Leia was a good judge of character. "Although he's not as pretty as my wife."

{Very funny}, Chewie taunted him. {He looks a lot like you. But older}.

"Gimme a break, would ya? I bet your dad got all his grey fur worrying over you."

{He's just older than me. When Wookiees reach a certain age, we turn grey}.

"Yeah, well, it works for humans, too. C'mon, let's finish up. I'm dying for some decent food." And, Han added silently, playing with my kids and making love to my wife. Han did not consider himself a complicated man. Those three things made him extremely happy.

He had purchased gifts on his runs for the kids and for Leia; he'd found a sweater for her woven from the hair of Endorean goats. Leia was sensitive to the feel of fabrics and after years at war, in uniform, she'd made a concerted effort to find clothing that was genuinely her. This included lacy, silky lingerie that Han loved looking at her in. Of course, the whole idea was to get it off her, but removing it from her was part of the fun.

Han felt incredible relief as he approached their apartment complex, breathing in a deep sigh.

{Have a good evening}, Chewie said to him as they got out of Han's speeder.

"You, too," Han said to his first mate. He slumped against the wall of the lift. Chewie, being of a species that ran tall, had his flat on the second floor of the complex; the Solos lived on the eighty-third. The whoosh of the lift carried Han, who then entered the code to break the invisible security shield, strolled to the apartment, and put in the entry code.

"Honey, I'm home!" he shouted to Leia. He nearly fell over as all three kids ran over to him and hugged his legs, and Leia came over, her face glowing and happy, and gave him a kiss that would have to suffice for the moment. What he really wanted to do was get her into bed and take things further, but that would have to wait till family matters wer attended to.

"Has my father been around?" he asked Leia.

"He left yesterday for Bespin. He's participating in the Winter Fete Sabacc Open," Leia explained. She winked at her husband. "I think some of your talent for card games is genetic. Are you going to join him?"

"I haven't participated since we were married. When it was only my money, I didn't care, but it's our family's money now."

Leia knew how much Han enjoyed a good game of sabacc; "she'd never realized till he said it that he really did care for his family, even more than she'd realized. And she'd realized a lot.

"Well, he's old enough to go, and I don't think we need to babysit him," Leia laughed. "He was very helpful when you were away. The kids miss him. I like him myself."

"Yeah," Han said, smiling. "Hope he doesn't lose it all."

"He said he'd take his winnings and get a small flat not far from here."

"He'd better win the tournament, then. He probably hasn't checked housing prices," Han said. Prices were extortionate in their part of the city. Han would have preferred to have raised their family on the South Continent of Coruscant; while plenty of commerce and industry took place there, home prices, while not cheap, were far below what one found on Coruscant. But he knew Leia had to be there, and he'd long ago accepted it. It had its advantages for him as well.

Leia had ordered from Bakura Barbecue and the family sat down together, Han talking about the deliveries, Leia talking about an ambassador she wanted to strangle, the kids going on with what they wanted for Winter Fete. It was only four days till First Night, and the kids were dying to find out what presents they'd receive and competing with how many fried tubers they could stick up their noses. Han's threat to take them away got plenty of groans from Jacen and Jaina.

It was, Han thought, nice to be a normal family. And having one with a grandparent for his children gave him a whole new appreciation for it.

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Despite his weariness from the trip, Han was more than happy to bathe the kids, get them into their pajamas, and read 'The Little Lost Bantha Cub' yet again. There was something so soothing about having soft, clean, warm little children on him and against him that brought him a peace that only a family man knew. And that was what he was.

His father had missed out on that.

The children were sound asleep after the third requisition for water and kisses from their parents. It was standard operation procedure in the Solo home.

Han and Leia went to the sofa, kicking off their footwear and sighing with relief. Pulling each other close, they shared several kisses.

Han smiled at her. "What underwear do you have on?"

Leia grinned wickedly. "Your favorite. The white silk with Drellian lace."

"Ah, it's the virgin tonight," Han chuckled. "You know how much I love that." He was about to suggest they take it into the bedroom when the house comm went off. The vocal setting announced, 'comm from Jonash Solo.'

"Lemme get that," Han said, rising up and groaning a little as he padded across the floor. "What's up, Dad?"

"Han! Just making sure you got home okay."

Han was half amused and half annoyed. "I'm sure Leia would have let you know if there was a problem."

"I didn't see you for all these years. I guess now that we have a relationship, I don't want any bad luck to come your way." What he wouldn't say is, I don't want to lose you. It just wasn't something one Solo male would say to another.

"I'm okay, Dad. I really am. I heard you're in the Winter Fete sabacc open," Han said to him.

"I am, and I came here with one of your friends. Lando."

"You're with Lando? You should pick your friends more carefully." Han laughed.

"I'll make sure to tell him you said that," Jonash chuckled as well. "Never saw a man so preoccupied with clothes. He's got two huge travel trunks and this is only supposed to last four days."

"He was a general in the Alliance for a while. He liked the cape a lot."

"Whatever he is, he's worse than some women I've met. Not your wife, of course."

Han chuckled to himself. He was not going to say anything about his wife's clothing, especially what she was wearing under them.

"Okay, Dad. Have fun and win big," Han told him. "It's almost twenty-one hundred here, so I'm out."

"You take care, son." Jonash ended the call.

Leia smiled at him. "You seem to be more comfortable with the idea of him being your dad."

"Yeah, well, we're sort of bound by DNA and sabacc," Han remarked, walking back to the sofa. He extended his hand and helped Leia stand up. "I don't know about you, but seeing you in your white lingerie is always a stimulating experience."

"You're not too tired to be stimulated?" Leia teased.

"Not even close."


	10. Chapter 10

SO WHERE WERE YOU?

Chapter 10

Winter Fete was due to begin at sunset. Leia and Han had spent the day hanging the evergreen garlands with spices, one of the symbols of Winter Fete, all over the apartment.

"I bet you're not enjoying this at all," Han kidded Leia, whose eyes sparkled like those of their children. "I mean, what was better than the last one we had on Hoth?"

"Oh gods, that was miserable. I mean, we were only losing major battles, the food was wretched, and we both got sick. What's better than that for a holiday?" Leia said, rolling her eyes.

"I think there's been some substantial improvement since then," Han said, smiling as he hung another garland. He was nearly knocked over as their three children were screaming and running throughout the apartment. "Then again, we didn't have three kids hopped up on sweets."

"Han, my love, I regret to inform you that they haven't been given any sweets. Yet," Leia remarked. "We have that pleasure to look forward to later on."

"I can hardly wait. What time are Luke and Mara coming?"

"I told them 1300. With any luck, they'll be here by 1600." Luke had many wonderful qualities. Punctuality was not one of them. Han had often stated that it was a good thing that Luke was a Jedi knight, because he would make a terrible businessman.

"I need to put the nerf roast on soon," Han advised. "It'll take a few hours to cook it." Nerf roasts were common on Coruscant, but the best ones were the large ones that could be cooked slowly for maximum flavor.

"I got a muji and kavasa fruit salad," Leia told him. "I'll toss a green salad as well. Luke and Mara are in charge of the pie."

"Last year, they forgot the pie," Han reminded her.

"I'm sure they'll remember this time," Leia said, "but just in case, I've got a chocolate lava cake."

"You know, if they decide to have kids, I'm getting back at them for every noisy toy they've given our kids," Han grinned wickedly.

Jaina wandered into the living room. "Where's Grampa? He's spozed to come!"

"I'm sure he'll get in touch with us," Han said, using a non-answer for an answer. The tournament was supposed to end the night before, and he had been too busy (with Leia) to watch it on holovision. He hadn't yet heard from his father.

"He hasta come," Jaina insisted. "He said he would."

"Go play with your brothers," Leia said to her. "Daddy and I have to finish some things for tonight." Like wrap your presents, Leia thought wearily. She had yet to wrap a single gift; she and Han had taken turns the last two nights so that they could finish shopping.

As Han and Leia hung the last of the decorations and started working in the kitchen, they could hear a ruckus emanating from the kids' room.

"As long as they don't kill each other, it's fine," Han said.

"It's all fun till someone loses an eye," Leia remarked dryly.

"And then, it's hilarious." Han flashed a wicked grin at his wife.

Leia rolled her eyes again. "When that happens, you get to take them to the medicenter."

"Why do I always get the glamour jobs?" Han grumbled, but there was a smile on his face.

"Because, you're the father," Leia told him.

Han's comm went off. "Hey Dad," he said, picking it up. "Lose your shirt?"

"Nope. Won a new one from your friend Lando. He tried, I'll give him that. He's probably crying in his ale right now."

"Don't feel sorry for him," Han said, laughing. "He's probably found some arm candy to keep him company by now. So where are you?"

"Transport lands in about an hour. Then I need to go shopping, get the kids things."

"You don't have to do that," Han told him. "They already have enough toys for ten kids, and we're running out of apartment."

"I want to do this." Gods, Han thought, this man was stubborn, possibly at least as stubborn as his wife.

"Fine. But nothing that makes excess noise. Luke and Mara are going to be punished should they ever decide to reproduce."

"Those were your favorites as a little one. We gave you a toy starship when you were two, and it made every kind of noise possible." Jonash laughed.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, and next thing you'll say is that I simply got a life sized one when I got older."

"Well, didn't you?"

"Lando didn't tell you the story? I'm shocked. But, I've got a dinner to prepare."

"See you soon, son," Jonash said before he signed off.

Leia smiled at her husband. "Sounds like you guys are doing all right together."

"Yeah. Still getting used to having a father, but I kind of like it."

"I think if he'd had the chance, he'd have been a good one."

Han contemplated that. "At least now I know what happened to him all these years. By the way, he won the sabacc tournament."

Leia wrapped her arms around his waist and tipped her chin up. "Looks like he'll be getting that flat he's been talking about."

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In spite of having gone shopping, Jonash still arrived prior to Luke and Mara, and he had a bag full of goodies for the family. Once the two salads were prepared, Leia retreated to the master bedroom to begin wrapping packages. She didn't mind it and had learned how to be a creative with it from one from her governess when she was young.

Han had let him in, and the kids all came out of their bedroom shrieking happily at the sight of their grandfather. Jonash grabbed each one, supplying generous hugs and kisses.

"Be careful, guys!" Han warned them.

"Oh, they're just fine," Jonash assured his son. "I don't break that easily." Finally, the kids got up and began trying to drag Jonash into the living room. Han checked in on some of the vegetables he was slow roasting. Jonash called to him, "Where's that lovely wife of yours?"

"In the bedroom, wrapping," Han called out. "She's the queen of the gift box that looks too good to open."

"I'd offer to help her, but the last thing I wrapped was your mother's engagement ring."

Han looked at the pile of presents Jonash had arrived with. Clearly, he'd gone to one of the wrapping kiosks to have his done. They were as plentiful as food stalls during Winter Fete.

"Don't feel bad. I didn't even wrap Leia's," Han called out, finally deciding that the roast and vegetables were in good shape, and joined his father and kids in the living room.

"How did you propose to her? Every version of the holotabloids says something different."

"After the victory at Endor," Han answered, a faraway smile on his face. "In a glen in the forest."

"Well, that's kind of romantic, and obviously, she accepted," Jonash gave a wistful smile. "My Jaina, I was so surprised when she said yes. Sure, we'd been together a while, but I was so nervous when I asked her that she'd come to her senses and say no." It was clear to Han that his father felt about his mother the same way he felt about Leia. Han's only hope was that nothing would ever happen to Leia as it did to the first Jaina Solo. Han was not a worrier by nature, but Leia's visibility in the government made her a target. She'd get threats here and there. But she insisted that she was going to live her life as a typical working wife and mother and not be preoccupied with who got pissed off at her, because in her line of work, sentients would have to line up and take a number. The government sector had a lot of security in the forms of various species, energy walls and electronics, and Leia didn't worry about making the walk to work and home.

Han did, but she assured him she was quite safe. He didn't always think about it consciously, but it was something, a small disquiet in the back of his mind.

He wondered how Jonash lived with knowing he couldn't save his wife, Han's mother. It wasn't that Han blamed him; in fact, quite the contrary. His father simply didn't realize that there may well have been nothing he could have done. But that, as Han knew, didn't erase that vague feeling of guilt that surfaced every so often.

But both realized that this was not a time to mourn, but a time to rejoice.

The eight bell chime went off, indicating visitors. He pressed the talk switch.

"This can't be Luke and Mara!" Han exclaimed. "Because Luke and Mara are always at least three hours late!"

"We cut it in half this time," Luke announced, laughing. Han released the various security measures as they made their way to the Solos' apartment.

"Now you get to meet the Jedis," Han told his father.

"Should I be afraid?" Jonash asked sarcastically.

"No. But if they say 'a Jedi's strength floooooooooooooooooooooooooooows from the Force, you're allowed to smack 'em."

Jonash laughed as Han gave ingress to his brother-in-law and his brother-in-law's strikingly pretty girlfriend. It was hard not to notice Mara Jade.

"Meet Luke and Mara," Han said to his father. "Luke would be the ugly one."

"Thanks a lot," Luke said, but laughed. This was how he and Han usually interacted.

"And this ugly guy here is my father, Jonash Solo."

Mara and Jade were momentarily speechless. Han stepped in. "Yeah, I thought he was dead, too. But he's alive and well and taking up space and air."

"Let's see how you look in twenty-five years," Jonash snorted at his son. "Luke, Mara, a pleasure."

"What're you drinking?" Han asked Luke and Mara.

"Alderaanian ale," Luke informed him.

"You're in luck. We have it. You know where to find it. Mara, you?"

"Emera wine, if Leia won't mind."

"Leia won't mind. I got her two cases on my last trip to Nenmo's."

Luke smiled at Jonash. "See the abuse I have to put up with?"

"Welcome to my life," Jonash said to the young man. "I understand you two are Jedi. I thought they'd all been wiped out."

"Almost," Luke said to Jonash. "We've found some Force sensitive kids and we're training them at our Praxium. We keep asking Han and Leia if we can train their kids, but they think they should wait till they're older."

"How about we don't go near that," Han remarked dryly, grabbing a second ale for himself. "I'd like to have some fun tonight."

"Agreed," Luke and Mara said in unison, laughing.

Once again, the kids knew that their uncle and putative aunt were there and came racing out of the bedroom.

"Did you bring sweets?" Jacen asked, his eyes eager as he asked Luke.

"I don't know," Luke teased the young boy. "Did I?"

"Forget the sweets. Did you guys bring the pie?" Han called out.

Mara and Luke looked at each other. "I thought you brought the pie," they said in unison to each other.

"You lucked out. Leia got dessert," Han informed them.

"C'mon, Unca Luke, les' play!" Anakin beckoned him, yanking Luke's hand. Mara accompanied them, and they were soon involved in Grand Theft Star Destroyer.

Jonash looked at Han, putting a hand on his son's shoulder. "Nice family you got there. You've done good, son. Wish I could take some responsibility for that, but I can't."

"I think Leia should get credit for it," Han told her.

"Indeed she should."


	11. Chapter 11

SO WHERE WERE YOU?

Chapter 11

Han, Jonash and Chewie ended up at a table Han had occupied frequently in the past.

Han smiled at Jonash. "This table is where my life completely changed about a decade back."

{One whiny farmboy, one weird old man, and two crazy droids. Who knew?}, Chewie shrugged.

"Yep," Han went on, "I was working for Jabba the Hutt at the time. Unfortunately, even I got boarded by the Imps sometimes and I had to dump a load of spice."

"You worked for the Hutts?" Jonash was aghast, as indicated by his raised eyebrows and alarm in his voice. "Those lizards are dangerous."

"I didn't have a lot of options. You get a dishonorable discharge from the Imperial Navy, no ethical employer wants to hire you. I liked eating and keeping my ship spaceworthy, so I went with the money. The Hutts were paying and I went along with it.

"So when I met up in the cantina with the old man and the kid, it was gonna be a nice, easy charter to Alderaan. I'd be out of debt, have a little bit left over, and move on to the next job. But, a funny thing happened on the way to Alderaan. We got there, but instead of a nice, friendly planet with good weather, great casinos and even better intoxicants, we came on to this group of asteroids and dust. Apparently the Imps wanted to demonstrate the power of the Death Star Version .oh, and they picked Alderaan to make a point to this pretty little princess who was waiting to be executed."

"The pretty little princess you married," Jonash said with a smile.

Han continued. "A lot more happened between then and when I married her. I was delivering two droids with the weird old guy and the kid, and one of the droids carried the info for locating a weakness in the Death Star that they could exploit.

"When did you know she was The One?" Jonash asked impishly.

Han contemplated the question. "I'd say about thirty standard minutes, give or take."

"Took you that long?" Jonash laughed.

"Hey, we were kind of busy getting shot at!" Chewie laughed, but then shuddered.

"I'm just hassling you," Jonash told Han affectionately. "C'mon, it's a father's prerogative! Don't tell me you don't do it with your kids!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Han said, chuckling.

Jonash became sincere. "You're a very good father. And a much better husband than I ever was."

"Seeing as I was never your wife, it's hard for me to say," Han responded in his usual dry manner.

Jonash rolled his eyes. "I get a kid who's a smartass."

"Consider it payback," Han told him. The two were laughing, though.

"So where did you meet Leia?"

"In a detention block on the Death Star.

When we approached what had been Alderaan, we were pulled in by this tractor beam that would have destroyed the _Falcon_ if we'd fought against it. This, of course made everyone pretty unhappy." Chewie barked a response. "Yeah, I know, that was putting it mildly. We didn't even know that Leia was there at the time. Then, Artoo, who was more or less Luke's pet droid, was freaking out and saying he found her. Luke who at the time was totally naive, immediately switched into his 'we've gotta rescue the damsel in distress' mode. Marching into the detention area didn't sound promising for a long and healthy life, and I at first refused to do it. But, and this is embarrassing so keep in mind that it's been a while since I was this way, she was wealthy and she was paying, and I was desperate and broke, so I went along with it. Needless to say, Luke had given maybe five seconds as to how to pull this thing off. He wasn't exactly inspiring confidence, and so Leia took over and pushed into a trash chute."

{It smelled terrible}, Chewie added, wrinkling his nose.

Jonash was laughing, which Han felt appropriate. It was one of those life events that was horrible at the time it occurred, but provided great humor later on.

"It would have been all right if that was the worst of it," Han reminded his first mate. "But a couple minutes after Luke was coughed back up by gods only know what, the walls started to close in on us. Well, it was a trash masher and I suppose it was only realistic to suppose that we were going to be a lot thinner. Fortunately, the one droid wasn't completely useless and they managed to get the walls to stop caving in before we looked like yesterday's spoiled nerf roast."

"So then you escaped?"

"After nearly being killed a few times, yeah, we did. We headed for Yavin. I told Leia I was done. Hey, I owed Jabba credits and there was a death mark on my head."

{I wanted to stay with the Rebels}, Chewie reminded him crossly.

"Since when do I listen to you?" Han shot back.

{Never}, Chewie laughed.

"So we get to Yavin, and they found the weakness. Their plan was insane – small X-wings skimming down a trench to make a direct hit into the reactor core of the Death Star. I've done some crazy stuff in my time, but the idea of doing that was even beyond me, and that's saying something."

{No argument there}, Chewie said to him.

"So we headed out for Jabba's, but the Rogue Squadrons were making sure that there were gonna be a lot of funerals when it was over. I couldn't just let the kid go that way. I mean, I kind of liked him and he'd been upset that I'd left, and Chewie here was going to hassle me to death if I didn't turn back."

{Han and Luke received the Medal of Valor}, Chewie told Jonash.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, but the best part of the victory was the after party," Han said. "I got to dance with Her Highness." Han grinned like a schoolboy talking about his crush.

{And then you spent the next three years arguing all the time}, Chewie reminded him.

"Three years arguing? What a waste of time!" Jonash chided his son.

"Not really," Han said, grinning. I _did_ get the girl, you know! Besides, we provided the Alliance with more free entertainment than they deserved."

{Lots of gambling going on about when they'd mate}, Chewbacca added, amused by the memory.

"Yeah, someone made money off us," Han said to Chewie.

"So when did you decide to stop being amusement for the troops and do the right thing by the girl?" Jonash asked his son.

Han signaled the server for another round.

"Our unit was based on Yavin Four for a while, until we were attacked. It was determined that we should base our operations on somewhere that the Empire wasn't likely to attack, and they came up with going to Hoth. That made me wonder what I was sticking around for."

"I'm told they have vacation packages there," Jonash said, frowning.

"When we were on it, it was anything but resort like. I'd been to a lot of less than wonderful places in the galaxy, but this beat them all. It was impossible to get warm. The _Falcon _was the warmest place to sleep, and it wasn't very warm when you're talking that kind of cold. By this time, I'd been with the Rebellion three years. They protected me and paid for my services. I did supply runs, everything from beer to weapons. Leia accompanied me on runs occasionally; procurement was her main responsibility. We ended up doing a run to Ord Mantell, and I managed to run into a bounty hunter there, and I damn near got killed. Jabba had put such a huge price tag on my head that everyone wanted a piece of the action. I decided at that point I had to leave while I still had all of my body parts."

"I heard that there was a search for a Han Solo, but I was in the spice mines and all I heard were rumors," Jonash said. "And until I escaped, I wouldn't have been able to do anything."

"It was all real," Han assured him. "So I told General Riekkan that I had to leave. It wasn't easy because I respected him and he did me."

{Amazing. He actually respected someone}, Chewie added.

"You've been hanging around with this guy too long," Jonash said to the giant Wookiee as he pointed at Han.

Chewbacca was quite good at interpreting the humor of humans, but at this, he drew himself up in righteous anger. {I owe Han a life-debt. That is the most sacred of bonds, even surpassing family obligations}!

"Take it easy," Han urged his friend. "He's not familiar with Wookiee customs."

{And a life debt}, Chewie continued, {extends to the family of the one who saved your life. And that includes you}.

"I'm honored," Jonash said to him. "Do go on," he urged Han.

"So I told Leia that I had to go, and she chases off after me. I knew she liked me, and the thought of leaving her was awful, but I was in a pretty dire situation. I could easily compromise the Rebellion as well, and really, I didn't want that responsibility."

{Typical}, Chewie snorted.

"Hey, I'd gotten to know a lot of the soldiers and liked 'em. I didn't need their deaths on my head. They deserved better."

{And then Luke got lost in the storm}, Chewie chimed in. {Han was the only one brave enough to look for him}.

"Hey, he was my friend! I wasn't gonna leave him out to die!" Han exclaimed. "I did what needed doing. I was going to take off, but meteorites were pounding the glacier and Riekkan wasn't letting anyone leave. So the princess and I picked up where we left off, Luke got better and took off with the fleet, and Chewie and I were frantically trying to get the ship spaceworthy, but the base fell under attack by the Imps and we were evacuating. I tried to get Leia to her ship, but there was a cave in, so I got her and Threepio out on the _Falcon_."

{And then they mated}, Chewie added, self satisfied.

"Don't you ever think about anything else?" Han demanded of his Wookiee companion.

{Food, of course}.

"And that is how it started," Han said to Jonash. "We've been together ever since. We managed to have a few more adventures along the way, some I don't care to repeat, but we got married at Cantham House, with about a thousand more wedding guests than I wanted to have, but it didn't matter; Leia was now my wife and that's all I cared about."

Jonash smiled. "I'm guessing that that's where you consider your life to have started."

"Yeah." Han smiled. "Speaking of which, I think one more round and we're gonna have to crawl outta here."

"You're probably right," Jonash agreed. He was quite tipsy by this point.

As Han signaled the server, a tall figure crossed over to their table. The cantina was dimly lit, even during daytime hours, and the three were well on their way to being utterly and completely drunk, so the figure wasn't readily recognizable at first, but too soon, it became obvious.

"Salla Zend. What in the nine hells are you doing here?" Han asked, squinting.

Salla gave a bitter laugh, her orange eyes blazing. "I should ask you that. Don't you think you should be home with that obnoxious princess you married?"

"You should know from obnoxious," Han retorted. "And you don't dare speak of my wife that way."

Salla threw back her head, her laughter becoming even more menacing. "I've been waiting for a long time to do this." She slowly removed her blaster pistol.

"Oh, please, Salla, this is ridiculous! It's been over fifteen years since we knew each other! What's wrong, you kill off Shug Ninx?"

"Ninx was never the man you were. Or have you gone soft, all married with kids?"

Jonash stood up. "Young lady, please. I'm sure whatever went on between you and my son was a long time ago and there's no reason for this."

"He deserted me! We were going to be married!" Salla gave a cruel smile.

"I'm sure you're not the first woman who's ever lost someone she loved," Jonash told her quietly.

"Who the hells are you, anyway?" Salla demanded.

"I'm Han's father, that's who," Jonash informed him.

"I thought your parents were dead, Solo." Salla's face was twisted into a sneer.

"So did I. C'mon, Salla, move along," Han urged her, keeping his hand on his blaster. "We're history."

"Not in my mind!" she snapped. "I'd have made a real man out of you, Solo. We'd have had the best life together –"

{I'm going to find Tork}, Chewie announced, excusing himself from the table.

Salla laughed again, an extremely unpleasant, grating noise. "I see you're still hanging out with a Wookiee as your favorite playmate."

"Will you just go already?" Han said, trying to maintain his cool. Salla was an expert shot. "What happened was what happened. I'm sorry it didn't work out. I wasn't up for being married in those days. I finally met the right woman, and it just didn't happen to be you."

"Well, let's see how well she likes being a widow!" Salla said, snarling and pointing her weapon right at Han's heart. Her finger was solidly on the trigger.

She fired, and as the blast traveled, Jonash leaned over rapidly, right in front of Han...

Han gasped as he saw a sea of crimson spreading over his father's chest.

"No," he whispered. "No, Dad, not now."


	12. Chapter 12

SO WHERE WERE YOU?

Chapter 12

Medical assistance arrived rapidly. _Times sure have changed, _Han thought as he watched them try to save his father's life. Salla was being electronically handcuffed and led away by TatSec. In the past, neither would have shown up at Chalmun's. But the hoverambu carried Jonash to the nearest medicenter, with Han and Chewie.

"C'mon, Dad, stay with me, I only just met you," Han begged quietly. Jonash was losing blood rapidly, despite the attempts of the med droid on board doing everything he could to staunch it. Salla had hit him, hard, with one of the newest blaster models.

Han felt even more guilty than he had because he knew that he was the one that was meant to be killed.

Han thought about his own kids, what he'd do for them. And realized that he would have done exactly what his father did for him.

He waited with Chewie while his father was being treated. He hoped to whatever deities might be on duty at that time that they'd spare Jonash.

{It's not your fault, cub}, Chewie assured him.

Han shook his head. It wasn't his fault that Salla Zend was crazy. He knew that well. He'd had some fun with her back in the day, but after she became marriage crazed, he'd bolted and had never felt guilty about it. The only reason he hadn't taken the shot was because the New Republic was about laws, and they were laws he intended not to break.

At that moment, he wished he'd shot first.

Han stepped outside to comm Leia.

"What's wrong?" was Leia's first question.

"My father's been shot," Han told her, trying not to sound shaky and failing miserably at it.

"By someone he knew?" Leia asked gently.

"No. By someone I knew. Remember I told you about Salla Zend, my craziest ex-girlfriend?"

"You did. But she hasn't been around you in what, fifteen years?"

"Apparently she has a long memory and holds grudges. She was in the cantina tonight, aiming for me, and before I could do anything, my dad was blocking me. He took the shot."

"I'm so sorry, love," Leia said tenderly.

"He's in surgery," Han said, sounding as if the life had been drained out of him. "This is so wrong."

"It's the job of parents to care for their children. You may be forty-one years old, but you are still his child, and that will never change."

"I was just getting to be comfortable with him being my dad," Han said wearily. "The kids love him. You seem to care for him a lot."

"I do, love, I do. But regardless of what happens, just remember that he was simply being a parent protecting his child."

Han could see the med droid coming to Chewie. "I have to go now. I'll call you soon."

"Captain Solo," the med droid said softly. "We did what we could to save your father. I am sorry that we were not successful. His wounds were too grave."

"Thanks for trying," Han said, his voice starting to crack. Chewie patted his back with one of his giant paws.

{At least you had him for a little while}, Chewie mewled softly to him.

"Much too little."

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Leia had explained to the kids that Grandpa had died before Han came back, that it meant that Grandpa was not going to be able to visit them again. They cried, of course, but she knew that they were resilient, and would be, so long as she and Han were honest with them. Granted, they were not about to give them every detail, but they didn't gloss over the fact that Grandpa was dead.

Corellians practiced burial as opposed to cremation, and funerals tended to be private affairs, with only those closest to the deceased present. Friends and family would call on them during the week after burial, bringing food and drink and offering stories about the deceased, and many of the stories were very funny. It was a recognition that the deceased was really gone, and that his or her life deserved to be celebrated.

Jonash was buried in a memorial park north of the government district. It was an unusual place on Coruscant in that it was full of flowers, trees and soft lawns of grasses and moss. It was extremely quiet. The officiant, a Corellian herself, concluded his words, prayers for those in the next life, and comfort for the Solos, Luke, and Mara. Not that Mara and Luke were especially close to Jonash Solo, but they had known him and considered him family.

It was customary that the process of burial begin by each loved one taking a handful of dirt to place atop the simple coffin. Anakin, being the youngest, went first, then Jacen, Jaina, Luke, Mara, Leia, and Han being last. Each would then hand the officiant a tiny potted plant that would later be placed over the buried coffin, and would come to bloom over time. It was a living memory of sorts.

"Would anyone like to say a few words?" the officiant asked.

"I miss you, Grandpa," Jacen said tearfully.

"I miss you, too," Jaina said, very softly.

"Thank you for the time you did give us," was Leia's response.

"To have known one's father, for however short a time it was, is to know oneself better," Luke spoke.

"Any wrongdoing in your life has been redeemed," Mara added.

Leia commented again, "You shall be missed."

Han wasn't sure if he should say anything at all. In the end, he uttered a whispered, "thanks, Dad."

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The week of mourning and receiving guests had ended. Han and Leia were getting ready for bed.

"I don't think I can eat another casserole," Han commented wryly. He hadn't spoken much over the last week, and Leia was relieved that he'd remarked upon this.

Leia knew that Han felt tremendous guilt over what had happened to his father.

"Han, if it had been one of our kids, you'd have done the same thing," she said gently.

"I know. But if I hadn't taken him to the cantina –"

"Things happen for reasons we know nothing of and can't control," Leia reminded him.

He gave Leia a weak smile. "I know. But it'll take a while before it becomes real to me."

"Do you regret him re-entering your life?" Leia inquired gently.

Han shook his head. "No. I actually feel...I don't know, maybe a little more complete. Which is weird because there's this emptiness. It's a paradox I can't explain very well."

"You explained it perfectly," Leia said.

"He loved my mother," Han said, smiling. "Very much."

"He loved her the way you love me, Han." She slipped under the covers. "I think this might be a good time to honor that love."

Han smiled tenderly. "Yeah. I think you're right."


End file.
